As part of the University of California’s systemwide commitment to equity and inclusion, all UC locations are required to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA by April 2026. This means that every digital product – from websites and PDFs to presentations, forms, videos and emails – must be usable by people of all abilities.
To keep you engaged we will be sending one email per week recommending a few tips with how-to resources. The more we learn together, the better assurance we that we can build the foundational skills we all need to produce accessible documents, emails, websites, learning materials, internal and public-facing content.
- To prioritize your time, consider your role and which tips are most important to your work. Do you draft reports, edit webpages, communicate with the public, design materials, or teach online? As they are announced, we also encourage you take part in UCwide and UC ANR internal training opportunities.
These weekly tips and how-to posts will draw from many sources including but not limited to:
- Siteimprove Learning Hub (UC-wide training platform requires ANR SSO to login)
- LinkedIn Learning (Request your account by contacting UC ANR IT at help@ucanr.edu .
- University of Minnesota Office for Digital Accessibility (ODA)
Why this matters — to UC ANR and to you
By building your accessibility skills, you help UC ANR meet required UC and legal standards and develop competencies that are increasingly essential across organizations nationwide. Accessible design is now a core professional skill — one that strengthens your work, expands your impact, and supports inclusivity for all Californians.
Start Here:
Stop making inaccessible content and remove content that is outdated, duplicated, decorative, or unnecessary so users can focus on what truly matters. Removing unnecessary or outdated content reduces clutter and helps make digital materials easier to access for everyone.
To help us build a digitally accessible UC ANR—and help yourself grow skills that benefit your entire career start with these tips:
Week 1 - Foundation: Structure & Readability
Tip 1: Headings (Structure)
Tip 2: Lists
Week 2 - Foundation: Meaning & Flow
Tip 3: Links
Tip 4: Spacing & Layout
Week 3 – Foundation: Readability
Tip 5: Plain Language & Readability
Week 4 – Visual & Content Elements
Tip 6 : Color & Contrast
Tip 7 - Images & Alternative Text
Week 5 – Data & Structure
Tip 8 - Tables
Week 6 – PDFs: High-Risk Content (Part 1)
Tip 9 - Accessible PDFs Start at the Source
Tip 10 - PDF Tags & Reading Order
Tip 11 -Accessible Forms (PDF & Online)
Week 8 – Multimedia & Interaction
Tip 12: Video & Audio Accessibility
Tip 13: Keyboard Accessibility
Week 9 – Quality Control & File Management
Tip 14: File Naming & Document Metadata
Tip 15: Accessibility Checkers (Use Them Wisely)
Week 10 – Culture & Sustainability
Tip 16 - Accessibility as a Shared Responsibility